Deductions from Deposit

[walter01]

Hi,

I need some advice about making a claim for deductions from the deposit.

Arranged to meet the tenant at the property today to do handover. Twenty minutes before we were due to meet she texted that due to circumstances couldn't make it and that her partner had posted the key through the door earlier in the day and all other keys were in the house.

Went to the house as planned and found it in a dirty condition. Basically they have just packed up and left and not cleaned.

Also two of the original 1930s doors have been half heartedly painted white, so will need to be dipped. All the downstairs doors were lockable but because the tenant decided to replace with her own doors (which she susequently removed on giving notice)and fill in the original keeps, the doors no longer close properly or lock.

Feature wallpaper has been painted over and wallpaper has been ripped where individual numerals of a clock have been stuck on and removed. I haven't got any of this spare and think it's been discontinued.

In addition they have left a load of junk (toys, beds, mattresses, wood, christmas decs) cleared the gardens of all established shrubs and plants during their tenancy and broken shed window.

What I would like to know is
Can I claim for cleaning costs?
If I can't match the wallpaper that's been ripped can I claim for cost of whole room to be re papered?
Can the cost of the feature wallpaper and handy man to remove and rehang the doors and reinstate door keep be claimed for?

Do I need to provide the deposit company estimates or actual receipts to backup my claim?

Many thanks for your time. Apologies for going on a bit!

[Snorkerz]

Do you have a condition report / inventory from the begining of the tenancy?
What does it say about the problem items?
What have the tenats said about the problems?

[mariner]

Get an ind firm to conduct move out inventory/inspection with photographs of general state and specific damage/losses before starting any work. If you do not have a move in inspection report, pref independent or a reliable ind witness statement as to general condition, you will have difficulty claiming for T damage & neglect. You should be able to claim for a skip/prof removal of Ts abandoned items and general garden tidying eg weeding & grass cutting. Missing plants prob theft by persons unknown so report to Police for crime number.
Do you have a forwarding address for departed Ts? Id so, forward copy of move-out report without comment then apply to DPS for deposit or if costs more than deposit use Small Claims Court for diff.
Note you can only claim for contractors' estimates not your personal labour costs